Beautiful, conniving and dangerous, these Mermaids will do anything to protect their home. Whitecap Bay is the final leg of the journey for the Fountain of Youth. It is also where mermaids have been known to gather for hundreds of years, thereby striking terror in the heart of sailors and pirates alike. Drawn to the surface by a singing sailor, they entrance their prey before dragging them to the depths of the Bay to devour them. The mermaids must defend against Blackbeard and his crew as they attempt to capture a live mermaid to harvest the mermaid's tear demanded by the Fountain of Youth ritual.

In a sense, these mermaids provide both a complement and a contrast to those in the original Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. His merfolk could not shed tears because they lacked an immortal soul; the mermaids of On Stranger Tides instead have tears which can potentially grant immortality.

Contents

Background

In the official description of mermaids:

Beautiful, conniving and dangerous, these Mermaids will do anything to protect their home in Whitecap Bay.

Whitecap Bay is the final leg of the journey for the Fountain of Youth. It is also where mermaids have been known to gather for hundreds of years, thereby striking terror in the heart of sailors and pirates alike. Drawn to the surface by a singing sailor, they entrance their prey before dragging them to the depths of the Bay to devour them.

The mermaids must defend against Blackbeard and his crew as they attempt to capture a live mermaid to harvest the Mermaid's Tear demanded by the Fountain of Youth ritual.

Appearances

Films

In the film, when Elizabeth Swann was trying to warn of the cursed pirates, Lieutenant Gillette says, "Don't worry, miss, he's already informed of that. A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story" before shutting the doors on her.

During the quest for the Fountain of Youth, a longboat full of members of Blackbeard's crew were used as bait on a mission to lure a mermaid for her tears. Legend has it that man-made light and song attract mermaids, so the boat is lit by the beam of the lighthouse and Scrum was forced to sing a song. Scrum sang My Jolly Sailor Bold and successfully attracted a mermaid named Tamara, who continued singing Scrum's song as other mermaids surrounded the longboat.

After Tamara revealed her true form, the mermaids began a lethal attack on Blackbeard's crew. Seeing the mermaid slaughtering pirates, Jack Sparrow set an explosion on the Bay's lighthouse to scare the mermaids away. In the aftermath of the battle, Philip Swift captured a mermaid he would later name Syrena.

Video games

Disney Parks

In an extended sequence to promote Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, mermaids are seen swimming underwater as Jack Sparrow says "The Fountain of Youth. What does it require?", and in which Angelica says "A mermaid, Jack." Tamara can then be heard singing "My Jolly Sailor Bold", while mermaids continue swimming, shortly before the mermaid attack battle scene follows.

On October 2012, mermaids were added to Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World. At the grotto scene, a mermaid skeleton can be seen in the grotto with "My Jolly Sailor Bold" playing in the background.

Notable Mermaids

Syrena

Syrena is a beautiful, enigmatic mermaid portrayed by Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey. Mystery surrounds the mermaid Syrena, even down to her true name, for “Syrena” is only what she’s called by missionary Philip Swift during her captivity by Blackbeard. After her fellow mermaids attack Blackbeard’s crew at Whitecap Bay, Syrena and Philip begin to recognize a quality in each other that draws them together, allowing them to become allies against a common enemy in Blackbeard. Each discover more of their true beings, but risk their lives when they listen to the sounds of their hearts.

Tamara

Tamara is a mermaid played by Gemma Ward. She took part in the battle at Whitecap Bay, fought between mermaids and Blackbeard's crew. When Scrum sings My Jolly Sailor Bold, Tamara first appears before him and seduces him. Entrancing the pirates, Tamara sings Scrum's song as the other mermaids surround the longboat full of Blackbeard's crewmen. Scrum is almost powerless to resist a kiss from the beautiful mermaid, but before succumbing, the mermaid reveals her true form. She tries to attack but is hit with an oar. The mermaids then afterwards attack the crew.

Marina

Marina is a mermaid played by Jorgelina Airaldi. She took part in the battle at Whitecap Bay, fought between mermaids and Blackbeard's crew. In a scene cut from On Stranger Tides, Jack and Marina encountered each other, in which Marina slapped Jack in the face before swimming away. Though it was never directly stated, it is implied that she may have had a relationship with Jack Sparrow, which ended badly.